Structural connector clip



M r h 7, 7 J. w. SCHNELLER 3,307,315

STRUCTURAL CONNECTOR CLIP Filed Nov. 15, 1963 Fig. 2

INVENTOR Joseph W. Schnelier ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,307,315 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 3,307,315 STRUQTURAL CONNECTOR CLIP Joseph W. Schneller, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to National Gypsum Company, Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 323,531 Claims. (Cl. 52-490) This invention relates to a means for connecting two adjacent structural flanged members and is particularly directed to a metal clip adapted to be applied to the respective flanges, channels or beams.

A typical example of the environment of the present invention would be spaced parallel metal framing members for supporting a roof deck, such as of 1 /2 inch roof boards, or of form boards covered with a poured gypsum deck, such framing members including along the top edge an outwardly directed, accessible flange, and disposed thereover, generally perpendicularly, a plurality of spaced parallel H-channels, or equivalent metal members, with flanges directed horizontally and outwardly for receiving roof planks. Although the roof immobility and 'weight generally retain the H-channels, or their equivalent, in place against the framing members, some degree of mechanical attachment at each junction of framing member and H-channel is desired to prevent possible wind lifting, expansion or contraction movement, etc.

Although many means for attachment are available, such as wire tying, welding, rivets and screws, a rapid, economical means adaptable to variations in job conditions, in flange dimensions and in accessibility was sought.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means as hereabove sought.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide an economical clip for substantially instantaneous afiixing together of overlapping, perpendicular, flanged structural members.

It is a further object to provide such a clip which is suitable to normal variations in relationships of the structural members to be adjoined.

It is a still further object to provide an improved interlocked structure of relatively low cost and firm, permanent quality.

These and other objects of the invention will become readily apparent from the following specification and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a flange jo1n1ng ciip embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the clip of FIG. 1, shown affixed to and locking together a pair of adjacent, perpendicularly disposed flanged structural framing members.

Referring to the drawings, a flange joining clip 10 is shown, formed from a single piece of relatively inflexible sheet metal, preferably about 0.06 inch thick electrogalvanized steel.

Clip 10 includes primarily a generally flat, slightly elongate vertical lower body portion 12 and an elongate, horizontally disposed, open, reverse-bend upper body portion 14, forming an elongate horizontal slot 16 there throughout. Upper body portion 14 includes an upper sheet 18 and a lower sheet 20 adjoined at a bend 22 and forming therebetween the slot 16. The slot 16 opening width is made such that it will fit on and loose y around the flange 24 of the structural framing member 26, as shown in FIG. 3.

In the structure of FIG. 3, framing member 26 is a 1 /2 inch H-channel, with flanges 24 disposed horizontally, and 1 /2 inch roof boards 28 mounted between the flanges 24. It will be understood that a plurality of parallel framing members 26 will be similarly disposed, at all the parallel edges of roof boards 28. The flanges 24 have a thickness of 0.040 to 0.060 inch and the slot 16 is preferably an opening of 0.075 inch, as an example of preferred proportions.

The framing members 26 are supported by main roof framing members 30, a plurality of which are disposed all in perpendicular relation to, and immediately under, the framing members 26. The main framing members 30 include upper flanges 32.

Immediately underneath the lower sheet 20 of the clip upper body portion 14, the upper body portion 14 adjoins the vertical lower body portion 12 throughout a central segment 34 of the lower body portion 12, said lower body portion being substantially equal and below said upper body portion. At each of the two opposed ends of the lower body portion 12, a short, triangular lip 36 is formed in the lower body portion 12 by the removal of a triangular segment of the sheet metal along the junction of the upper portion 14 and lower portion 12, and by a vertical slit 38 extending downwardly along the innermost edge of lip 36.

Each of the two lips 36 are bent, about 45 out of the plane of the lower body portion 12, in a direction toward the extent of upper body portion 14, whereby a slot 40 of progressively decreasing width is formed between each lip 36 and the lower sheet 20 of the upper body portion 14. The lips 36 are bent along a generally horizontal fold spaced downward y from the lower sheet 20.

Referring to the structure of FIG. 3, the clip 10, affixed by upper body portion 14 to the lower flange 24 of framing member 26, is also afflxed to the upper flange 32 of the main framing member 30, the latter affixing being by the disposition of the flange 32 within one of the slits 40. By reason of the lips 36 being angled at about 45, free to be forced to a greater angle, the clip 10 can be very tightly engaged with the flange 32 by driving the clip onto the flange, as with a hammer. The relatively heavy gauge, small lip 36 is not easily bent to a greater angle and in being forced against the bottom face of flange '32, the lip both bends slightly and bites into the metal of flange 32, resulting in a very tight grasping and holding.

At the same time that the clip is being forced, as by hammering, into engagement with flange 32, the clip upper body portion 14 is being moved along the flange 24, around which it is disposed. When placement of the clip is final, and the roof boards 28 are disposed in place, it will be seen that the combined elements co-operate and assist each other, maintaining the fixed engagement of the clip with the two respective flanges.

The lower body portion 12 includes the above mentioned central segment 34, whereat it adjoins the upper body portion 14, and the two bent lips 36. In addition, lower body portion 12 includes sulficient additional area of sheet metal below the lips 36 and central segment 34 to provide substantially inflexibility throughout, with the single exception of the bendable lips 36, which are, although by no means flexible, in a form as to be free to bend to a slightly greater angle as the clip is being applied to flange 32. In the preferred form shown, the bottom half of the lower body portion 12 is made of a double thickness by the bent-over edge strip 44.

Having completed a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of my invention so that those skilled in the art may practice the same, I contemplate that variations may be made without departing from the essence of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A formed sheet metal clip for afiixedly holding the bottom flange of a metal channel for roof boards to the top flange of an adjacent perpendicularly disposed metal framing member, said clip comprising essentially a single piece of relatively inflexible formed sheet metal having an upper body portion and a lower body portion, said upper body portion being an elongate, horizontally disposed, open, reverse-bend channel, forming therein a narrow deep slot, said lower body portion being a generally vertically disposed section having an extent substantially equal and below said upper body portion, said lower body portion being adjoined to said upper body portion along a central segment and being disjoined from said upper body portion at each of the two ends of said clip, a slot of progressively decreasing width extending inwardly from each clip end between said upper body portion and said lower body portion, whereby said upper body slot may engage a metal channel bottom flange, and one of said progressively decreasing width slots may engage a perpendicularly disposed metal framing member top flange.

2. A clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower body portion includes a bent lip adjacent and below each said progressively decreasing width slot, said lip being bent acutely out of the general plane of said lower body portion.

3. A clip as defined in claim 2 wherein said lips are bent acutely out of the general plane of said lower body portion in a direction toward the general disposition of said upper body portion.

4. A clip as defined in claim 2 wherein said bent lips are of generally triangular shape formed by the progressively decreasing width slot, a generally horizontal fold and a generally vertical slit in the lower body portion adjacent the said central segment.

5. A clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower body portion includes a bottom edge portion of bent-over double thickness.

6. A roof deck comprising a metal channel having a bottom horizontal flange for supporting roof boards and, perpendicularly disposed immediately there below, a metal framing member for a horizontal top flange, said bottom flange being aflixed held to said top flange by a formed sheet metal clip, said clip comprising essentially a single fit piece of relatively inflexible formed sheet metal having an upper body portion and a lower body portion, said upper body portion being an elongate, horizontally disposed, open, reverse-bend channel, forming therein a narrow deep slot, said lower body portion being a generally vertically disposed section having an extent substantially equal and below said upper body portion, said lower body portion being adjoined to said upper body portion along a central segment and being disjoined from said upper body portion at each of the two ends of said clip, a slot of progressively decreasing width extending inwardly from each clip end between said upper body portion and said lower body portion, whereby said upper body slot may engage a metal channel bottom flange, and one of said progressively decreasing width slots may engage a perpendicularly disposed metal framing member top flange.

7. A roof deck as defined in claim 6 wherein the said clip lower body portion includes a bent lip adjacent and below each said progressively decreasing width slot, said lip being bent acutely out of the general plane of said lower body portion.

8. A roof deck as defined in claim 7 wherein the said clip lower portion lips are bent acutely out of the general plane of said lower body portion in a direction toward the general disposition of said upper body portion.

9. A roof deck as defined in claim 7 wherein said clip lower body portion bent lips are of generally triangular shape formed by the progressively decreasing width slot, a generally horizontal fold and a generally vertical slit in the lower body portion adjacent the said central segment.

10. A roof deck as defined in claim 6 wherein said clip lower body portion includes a bottom edge portion of bent-over double thickness.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 705,124 7/1902 Payne 52490 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

A, I. BREIER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FORMED SHEET METAL CLIP FOR AFFIXEDLY HOLDING THE BOTTOM FLANGE OF A METAL CHANNEL FOR ROOF BOARDS TO THE TOP FLANGE OF AN ADJACENT PERPENDICULARLY DISPOSED METAL FRAMING MEMBER, SAID CLIP COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY A SINGLE PIECE OF RELATIVELY INFLEXIBLE FORMED SHEET METAL HAVING AN UPPER BODY PORTION AND A LOWER BODY PORTION, SAID UPPER BODY PORTION BEING AN ELONGATE, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, OPEN, REVERSE-BEND CHANNEL, FORMING THEREIN A NARROW DEEP SLOT, SAID LOWER BODY PORTION BEING A GENERALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED SECTION HAVING AN EXTENT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AND BELOW SAID UPPER BODY PORTION, SAID LOWER BODY PORTION BEING ADJOINED TO SAID UPPER BODY PORTION ALONG A CENTRAL SEGMENT AND BEING DISJOINED FROM SAID UPPER BODY PORTION AT EACH OF THE TWO ENDS OF SAID CLIP, A SLOT OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING WIDTH EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM EACH CLIP END BETWEEN SAID UPPER BODY PORTION AND SAID LOWER BODY PORTION, WHEREBY SAID UPPER BODY SLOT MAY ENGAGE A METAL CHANNEL BOTTOM FLANGE, AND ONE OF SAID PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING WIDTH SLOTS MAY ENGAGE A PERPENDICULARLY DISPOSED METAL FRAMING MEMBER TOP FLANGE. 